Fundraiser planned Sunday for man injured in custody

MANCHESTER — A fundraiser for Fern Ornelas will be held at Derryfield Country Club from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The fundraiser marks one month to the day that Elliot Hospital transferred Ornelas, 54, to Massachusetts General Hospital. Family and friends say Ornelas went to the Boston hospital because he had a broken neck and was paralyzed from the neck down.

The fundraiser is organized by friends and intended to help the Ornelas family with any expenses they may incur.

It also will be a chance for friends and family to talk about Ornelas, who is a popular and longtime member of the club.The event will feature a silent auction, raffle prizes and a 50/50 drawing. The Derryfield County Club also will donate 10 percent of all sales to the Fern Ornelas Fund.

Two ongoing investigations are attempting to determine how Ornelas became injured.

Ornelas was a psychiatric patient in the Elliot Hospital emergency room when he allegedly attacked a security guard the night of Oct. 16. He allegedly suffered facial injuries, was booked at Manchester police headquarters for simple assault, and then transferred about midnight Oct. 17 to Hillsborough County House of Corrections. Ornelas was sent back to Elliot Hospital about 9:30 a.m.